Over the last few decades, task-based language teaching (TBLT) has garnered increasing attention from researchers and educators alike. With a strong and growing body of research demonstrating the efficacy of tasks to support and facilitate second language development and performance (e.g., Keck, Iberri-Shea, Tracy-Ventura, & Wa-Mbaleka, 2006), TBLT has become a leading pedagogical approach. Similarly, computer-assisted language learning (CALL) has also grown as a field, with the use and integration of technology in the classroom continuing to increase (Petersen & Sachs, 2015). As these fields have matured, a reciprocal relationship has developed (Lai & Li, 2011), with the literature on tasks and technology seeking to not only examine how technology might support and facilitate language learning, but how TBLT might serve as a framework to more thoroughly investigate CALL. In light of the expanding research on tasks and technology, this review article aims not only to provide a current state of the art of how technology-mediated TBLT facilitates and supports second language development and performance, but also to describe how technology can contribute to our understanding of how features of TBLT, such as task design features and task implementation, influence the success of second language acquisition. Suggestions for possible research agendas in technology-mediated TBLT are also made.

The current study reports on a meta-analysis of the relative effectiveness of interaction in synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) and face-to-face (FTF) contexts. The primary studies included in the analysis were journal articles and dissertations completed between 1990 and 2012 (k= 14). Results demonstrate that interaction in SCMC and FTF had a significant impact on second language (L2) development, providing further support for previous research demonstrating the efficacy of interaction in both communication modes (e.g., Mackey & Goo, 2007; Pellettieri, 2000; Smith, 2004, 2005). There was also a small advantage for interaction in SCMC on measures of overall L2 learning outcomes, with additional analyses indicating a small advantage for SCMC interaction on productive and written measures and a small advantage for FTF interaction on receptive and oral learning outcomes. Interestingly, there were no significant differences between SCMC and FTF, suggesting the mode of communication has no statistically significant impact on the positive developmental benefits associated with interaction.

The relationship between computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and second language acquisition (SLA) has been studied both extensively, covering numerous subdomains, and intensively, resulting in hundreds of primary studies. It is therefore no surprise that CALL researchers, as in other areas of applied linguistics, have turned in recent years to meta-analysis as a means to synthesize quantitative results across studies. To date, nearly 30 CALL-SLA syntheses and meta-analyses have been conducted, covering topics from hypertext glosses (Yun, 2011) to synchronous computer-mediated communication (Ziegler, 2015) to game-based learning (Chiu, Kao, & Reynolds, 2012). Despite these individual contributions, the overall effects of CALL on SLA across domains have yet to be addressed. In this 'second-order' review, we provide a thorough account of substantive findings and a critical description and evaluation of methodological practices of CALL-SLA meta-analyses. We begin by describing the generally substantial effects of CALL on L2 learning along with an examination of different types of technology such as CALL glosses and computer-mediated communication (CMC). Results of the methodological review reveal wide variability overall and in several practices associated with rigor, transparency, and utility of meta-analytic reviews. At the close of our article, we provide empirically identified recommendations for future primary and meta-analytic research.

Curriculum development and empirical research in the field of second language acquisition could benefit the field of critical language pedagogy (CLP) and its practitioners. This article reviews central concepts in the organization of curriculum in CLP and compares them with another major curricular initiative in second language teaching, namely task-based or task-supported approaches, with particular emphasis on task-based language teaching. Content itself (as in activities or materials) and the role of metacognitive instruction are considered. A real-world example of a task-based or task-supported short-term program is reviewed as exemplifying some areas of contact or benefit.

Numerous empirical studies and syntheses have explored technology-mediated task-based language teaching (TMTBLT) (for example, Chong & Reinders, 2020; Lai & Li, 2011; Kim & Namkung, 2024; Ziegler, 2016), with findings highlighting the affordances of technology for interaction and its associated benefits. However, few studies have targeted program development and evaluation for task-based online curriculums for Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs) (Bryfonski & McKay, 2019). To address this gap, the current study uses action research (Burns, 2010) to report a teacher-researcher’s experience in creating, implementing, and evaluating TMTBLT materials for a beginning Vietnamese language class at an American university. Action research was used as the methodological framework through two iterative cycles (that is, two consecutive semesters) conducted with two mixed cohorts of heritage language learners and second language learners. Results highlighted the benefits of AR for bottom-up curriculum development and demonstrated significant gains in learners’ speaking and writing proficiency over time. Findings also suggest learners had overall positive perceptions of TMTBLT as a pedagogical approach.